What's at stake?

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Iowa currently has more than 95 miles of railroad corridors being abandoned by rail companies.

About 80 of these miles have been identified as key trail linkages. By protecting them in time, Iowans could create two 100-mile trail loops in central Iowa, connect two state parks near Hampton, link Gray's Lake to downtown Des Moines, expand the local trail system in Cedar Rapids and Marion and establish a trail across one of the highest railroad bridges in Iowa.

Because Iowa has no state agency that proactively "railbanks" these corridors, local public agencies and volunteers must race against time to negotiate with the railroad companies, apply for federal grants and raise local matching funds. If these lines aren't railbanked, and soon, then these corridors will be lost forever.

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For more information, e-mail Cathy Engstrom, director of communications, or call (515) 288-1846.